✨ Yoga on the Mat ✨
Building Strength, Calm, and Confidence
Over the years, yoga has become an important part of my life. I practice twice a week, and I’ve discovered that it gives me so much more than flexibility. Yes, my balance, mobility, and strength have all improved, but what I really treasure are the moments of calm, focus, and clarity that follow each class.
My yoga teacher, Mathew Harden, guides students from their 20s right through to their 80s. Watching people of all ages moving with such strength and grace is inspiring, and Mathew’s interactions with people of all ages is a clear sign of his dedication to wellness and his unique teaching abilities. It reminds me that yoga is for everyone, and that it supports us at every stage of life. For me, it’s helped ease stiffness from sitting at a desk for too long, improved my concentration, and kept me feeling capable and strong, both on and off the mat.
As Mathew has said “yoga isn’t just about stretching. It’s about ageing well., and it is a practise you can enjoy for life”.
Why is yoga so good for you and what benefits does it bring?
1) The Physical Benefits: Moving with Strength and Ease
For me, yoga is more than stretching on a mat. I find it helps build flexibility and mobility, keeps my joints supple, and greatly improves my balance and posture.
My aim as I get older is to strengthen my muscles and bones, supporting my everyday activities, such as walking with ease, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a chair or a car, and reducing the risk of falls or injury.
I have found that yoga offers a foundation of strength and resilience.
2) The Mental Benefits: Calm and Clarity
Beyond the physical, my experience of yoga is the profound effects it can have on my mind. The focus on breath and mindfulness reduces my stress, and the busyness of my brain. I find it encourages emotional balance, and sharpens my concentration and focus.
When I leave class, I feel calmer, clearer, and better equipped to handle life’s demands - whether they are business or personal related.
3) Yoga and Healthy Ageing
At my age and since I started yoga in my thirties, I have been thrilled the way yoga adapts to meet me where I am. It supports healthy ageing by preserving my mobility, protecting my bone health, and maintaining my mental sharpness.
Most importantly, it creates confidence and that inner assurance that allows me to feel ok to step into life fully, whether I'm having a go at yoga on the mat, or in my bathers at the beach.
My 4 favourite yoga positions
1) Downward Facing Dog
- Hands and feet on the mat.
- Form an upside-down "V" with your body.
- Focus on developing a long back.
- Overtime your legs will relax and you maybe able to place your feet flat.
- Your head rests between your arms.
Picture a dog stretching after a nap; that's the essence of this pose.
The benefits; Downward Dog isn't just about the stretch. This pose offers:
- Strength in the arms and legs.
- Enhanced spinal flexibility.
- Energises the body.
I love this because I can relax in it, stretch my back, shoulders and legs. Slow steady breathing through the nose relaxes your body and mind.
2. Cobra Pose
- Lie flat on the mat, face down.
- Hands are under your shoulders.
- Gently lift your upper body as you exhale.
- Arms can be bent back slightly.
- You can look upwards.
The benefits: The Cobra isn't just about the backbend. This pose will:
- Open the chest and shoulders.
- Invigorates the spine.
- Boosts digestion with the front body stretch.
- It is a wonderful stretch to do gently after sitting at a desk for too long.
3. Mountain Pose
- Stand tall, feet together.
- Arms relaxed at your sides
- Look straight ahead
The benefits: Mountain Pose is more than just standing. It’s about grounding myself and focusing. This pose:
- Teaches proper posture.
- Aligns the spine.
- Cultivates a sense of inner and outer balance.
- Gives a feeling of calm and power.
I love the simplicity of this pose and the calm if gives me. I feel rejuvenated and in control.
Slow breathing through the nose also helps all yoga poses and I find gives me the mental fortitude to withstand the efforts required to hold poses.
4. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
- Lie quietly on your back
- Arms, legs and feet relaxed, and rolled outwards slightly, position feet apart.
- Eyes closed.
This beautiful pose offers a quiet time of reflection, assimilation, and profound rest. My body, mind and spirit come together and the practise is embedded and incorporated.
It is so important at the end of a yoga class.
Who wouldn't enjoy lying flat out, eyes closed, doing what seems like nothing?
But Corpse Pose, or Savasana is more than just lying down.
The benefits of this vital pose are:
- Deeply relaxation of the entire body.
- Calms my mind and my nervous system.
- Provides space for the body to integrate the benefits of the practice.
I love the feeling of calm and the integration of my mind and body after a yoga class.
Another favourite is Plank Pose, which simply makes you feel incredibly strong.
Imagine your chest, hips and back in a straight firm line, without your bum rising or your belly dropping.
The benefits of this simple pose:
- Strengthens my entire body by toning my core, arms, shoulders, wrists, legs, and spine,
- Improves my balance, posture, and mental focus.
- Builds stamina in my body for other poses
- Eases lower back pain by strengthening supportive muscles.
Why do I relate to yoga so much?
Suncheeter and Yoga: Shared Values
Like yoga, Suncheeter is about creating confidence, comfort, and freedom of movement.
Just as yoga teaches us to be at ease in our own bodies, I design swimwear that helps women feel comfortable by the water by developing products with modest, stylish coverage, thigh-chafe protection, UPF 50+ sun protection, and sustainable, recycled fabrics chosen for quality and durability.
Because true confidence isn’t about hiding or abstaining from being part of life.
It’s about moving, living, and enjoying life with ease. Thanks to inspiring teachers like Mathew, yoga is a life-long practice that I adore and commit to doing for as long as I can.
Kate Dear
Kate has worked as a clothing designer for a number os Australian brands through the heady 80's, 90's and beyond.
She has also run workshops helping women dress for their shape and it's the combination of all this experience, her own journey as she ages and a deep love of the beach that has lead to Suncheeter.
